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Lupoli to lead Chelmsford fundraiser

By Grant Welker, gwelker@lowellsun.com

Updated:
12/27/2012 07:24:54 AM EST

CHELMSFORD -- Officials planning new synthetic athletic-fields surfaces at the high school and McCarthy Middle School are gearing up for fundraising and turning to Chelmsford resident Sal Lupoli for help.

Lupoli, founder of the Sal's Pizza and Salvatore's chains, is already involved in Chelmsford sports as a high-school football coach and as president of the Chelmsford Pop Warner youth football league. He'll now lead a committee looking to raise $500,000 to improve fields for student-athletes, youth-league members and the public.

The fields plan passed a procedural step by getting formal approval by the School Committee last week. The committee hopes to receive Town Meeting approval in the spring.

Under the plan, McCarthy's field would also receive a new track and new lights.

The estimated cost for the fields is $3.1 million, but schools Athletic Director Scott Moreau said it may be less than that because many firms are looking for work and are willing to submit lower bids. Planners expect private fundraising to cover $500,000, an amount that School Committee member Michael Rigney cautioned may be too optimistic.

Community Preservation Act funds from property-tax surcharges would cover $1.2 million, if approved, for aspects of the project that qualify, and $575,000 would come from the town's capital budget already earmarked for the new McCarthy track.

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The remaining $825,000 would come from a town bond that would be repaid through user fees, rentals and possible naming rights for the fields, Moreau said.

Rentals are expected to bring in about $60,000 a year. Groups using the fields would also bring more revenue to the town if they eat at local restaurants or stay at hotels in town, Moreau said.

The new fields would benefit hundreds of student-athletes who currently aren't able to use the high school and McCarthy football fields, Moreau said. Both fields have strict limits on use, but synthetic surfaces would allow them to be used year-round. Games could be played rain or shine, and the fields could even be used during the winter because the fields can be plowed, Moreau said.

The fields would be painted with lines for football, soccer, field hockey and lacrosse. An estimated 4,000 additional hours of community use would be available compared to today.

The high-school football field, which is only used during the fall sports season, would also be available for youth groups for the first time. Injuries should be less common with more level and consistent surfaces, Moreau said.

The fields committee, formed in November, is looking to begin fundraising soon after the new year, Chairman George Dixon said. A fundraising kickoff has been scheduled for Jan. 27 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Princeton Station, 147 Princeton St.

Members of the fundraising team will go to businesses in town, as well as former Chelmsford athletes seeking support, Dixon said. Response to the plan so far, he said, has been very positive.

"We need all the help we can get," he said. "I think all the kids in town deserve it. They will be great assets to the town. We're short on fields as it is."

Lupoli could not be reached for comment about fundraising plans.

The timeline for the project is aggressive. A design firm is expected to be hired early in 2013, with Town Meeting approval for funding in the spring.

Construction would start in June immediately following the school year and be complete in time for fall sports.

"There's a lot that needs to be done in a short amount of time," Moreau said.

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